The ManicaPost
Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
WHILE some are busy abusing the social media, some are using it!
What started as a mere video upload of his son’s sublime football skills on the social media platform by a Chipinge dad has catapulted his 19-year-old son, Munyaradzi Makwanya to KSPN Pogon Krakow Academy in Poland where the youngster is poised to make the big breakthrough into one of Europe’s’ top leagues.
The youngster’s rollercoaster ride to the more professionally run Polish academy saw him pass through Stamina Academy in Johannesburg in South Africa.
“Munyaradzi Makwanya enrolled for Form One to Three at Gaza High School, before transferring to Gideon Mhlanga High School for his Form Four. He did not undertake his A-Level studies even though he had passed.
“The reason being that I was phoned by Stamina Academy in South Africa after they had seen him on one of my Facebook posts. They invited him for trials and I sent him to South Africa where some Polish scouts also invited him for trials in Poland.
“I did everything for him, including paying for his flight,” said the proud father Kennias Makwanya, himself a prolific dribbling wizard during his playing days when he used to turn out for Dari Steri, Council Stars and GMB in Division One and Two in Chipinge during the 1990s.
Munyaradzi has fitted in well in the KSPN Pogon Krakow Academy where he has already scored a goal in the two matches he has featured that happened to be the remaining matches for the season.
In an interview this week from his Polish base, Munyaradzi said: “Yes, I have fitted very well in the team. I have not met any Zimbabwean so far, but I still feel at home because the people here have been very accommodative and friendly to me.”
Asked about where he sees himself in five years’ time, Munyaradzi did not mince his words, saying: “That is a hard question to answer, but when God wants it to happen it will definitely happen. These are God’s plans, but by that time I know I will be playing in one of the top leagues in Europe.”
Munyaradzi who moved to Poland in April has dreams that he feels are now within reach.
“It is also my ambition to move forward and have a better life so that one day I will be able to travel with my family, grow up in the game and in life until my family and community back in Chipinge is proud of me. Judging from where I came from, I can see light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.
Johannesburg Stamina Academy is also proud of Munyaradzi.
“We are proud of our product, Munyaradzi Mwakanya who is now turning out for KSPN Pogon Krakow in Poland. We make you dream come true,” reads a post on the academy’s Facebook page
The other reads: “Our goal is to develop a professional player through our individual skills development program. We do NOT conduct open trials, you register and attend a trial by appointment.”
